Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Movie Review for Woodlawn, the Film you Don't Want to Miss

After watching the
faith-based film “Woodlawn,” My first response was “Wow!” I have never seen a
clearer presentation of the Gospel in a film that will also appeal to
nonbelievers.

We often like a film, not
because of its intrinsic quality but because of the message it brings to
nonbelievers. That's not what you’ll see when you watch “Woodlawn.” It provides
an inspiring story that will thrill your heart and challenge you AND
nonbelievers at the same time.

This is the true story of
Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama that was experiencing racial
tensions in 1973 because of new integration policies that bused blacks into a
formerly all- white high school. The 500 African American students didn’t want
to be there, and the white students certainly didn’t want them there.

As you can imagine, racial
tensions invaded every facet of the campus, especially the lackluster football
team. But at one point a “motivational speaker” challenged the team to let
Jesus get rid of the hate and anger and follow Him instead. To the surprise of
the administration, the whole team made a commitment to follow Jesus that day
and thus began to work together instead of against each other.

As Woodlawn played as a unit,
they demonstrated to their community that the “love of Christ” made a difference
at their school when racial tension was infecting the rest of Birmingham. Their
school led to spiritual renewal at other high schools in Birmingham and
eventually throughout the whole community. Woodlawn learned that there was more
to life then winning football games.

This film mainly follows the
life of Tony Nathan, the star running back for Woodlawn who went on to become
one of the first African American football players at the University of Alabama.
Nathan then went on to fulfill his
dream as a star running back for the Miami Dolphins for nine years.

Don’t be misled; this is not
a simple story about football. It is a story about hope, inspiration,
commitment, and faith in Jesus. You don’t always win when you do the right
thing, but it is always right to do the right thing.

Yes, I was pleased with the
clear Gospel presentation, but just as important for me was the quality
production with a story line that will appeal to believers and non-believers
alike. The acting is professional with stars such as Sean Astin, Jon Voight,
and Nic Bishop with a solid supporting cast. The story is believable and
interesting, offering a spiritual message that is spot on.

I left the film asking, “Why
don't they make more movies like this?”I expect it to get good "word of mouth,” so don’t be afraid to
invite your non-believing friends. You won’t be embarrassed. And you probably
will come away with a foundation for some interesting conversations.